


At the Eve of Change

by Mlr96



Series: BedTime Stories [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (1963), Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Non-Graphic Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-06
Updated: 2018-09-29
Packaged: 2019-06-22 21:41:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15591303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mlr96/pseuds/Mlr96
Summary: She can't save everyone. That was the rule and she always knew that. But things got complicated and as she's stuck on Earth, pretending to be Harold Saxon's daughter, Eva starts questioning what this rule truly means, and what would be the price she'll pay for breaking it.





	1. The Mind Churns

**Author's Note:**

> I know I was supposed to post this four days ago but, in my defense, I spent three of those days sick and the fourth at the engagement party of my boyfriend's best friend.
> 
> As it is, here's the first chapter to the second part of this series - tell me what you think!

_“The Footprint,” the Doctor told Martha as he saw her running to him. “It’s a gravity pulse. It stamps down, the rocket shoots up – bit primitive, it’s gonna take the both of us to keep it stable.”_

_“Doctor, it’s the Professor,” Martha said, looking scared. “He’s got this watch, he’s got a fob watch, it’s the same as yours,” she added, making the Doctor turn to look at her. “Same writing on it, same everything.”_

_“Don’t be ridiculous,” the Doctor said. Yana couldn’t possibly have a fob watch, he just couldn’t. If he had, then…_

_“I asked him, he said he’s had it his whole life,” Martha went on._

_“So?” Jack asked. “He’s got the same watch.”_

_“Yeah, but it’s not a watch,” Martha corrected. “It’s this chameleon thing.”_

_“No, no, no…” the Doctor muttered. “It’s this… it’s this thing, this device that rewrites biology… changes a Time Lord into a Human.”_

_“And it’s the same watch!” Martha insisted._

_“It can’t be,” the Doctor repeated. Which Time Lord could have survived the Time War? Which of them could it be?_

_“That means he could be a Time Lord!” Jack called out. “You might not be the last one!”_

_“Jack, keep it level!”_

_“But that’s brilliant, isn’t it?” Martha questioned._

_“Yes, it is, course it is!” the Doctor muttered. Another Time Lord… just the thought of it was… terrifying. “Depends which one,” he added. “Fantastic, yeah.” There could be more. He might not be the last of his kind and if one Time Lord survived… how many others could have? “But they died, the Time Lords, all of them, they died.”_

_“Not if he was human!” Jack noted._

_“What did he say?” the Doctor asked, before all but screaming at Martha when she didn’t reply, “Martha, what did he say?!”_

_“He looked at the watch like he could hardly see it,” Martha stuttered out. “Like… that perception filter thing.”_

_“What about now?” the Doctor asked. “Can he see it now?”_

_“If he escaped the Time War, then it’s a perfect place to hide,” Jack said, running towards them from the other side of the corridor. “The end of the universe!”_

_“And think what the Face of Boe said!” Martha added. “His dying words! He said…”_

_Martha trailed off but the Doctor didn’t need the reminder as he turned he last notch to make the rocket fly, before looking at the screen, where the letters of the Professor’s name were displayed to him._

**Y** ou **A** re **N** ot **A** lone.

_“Lieutenant, have you done it?” the Doctor called into the radio. “Did you get velocity? Have you done it? Lieutenant, have you done it?”_

_“Affirmative,” the Lieutenant replied. “We’ll see you in Utopia.”_

_“Good luck,” the Doctor said, turning around and starting to run back towards Yana’s lab. “Eva’s alone with him!” he called out to Jack and Martha. “Eva’s alone with him, and she was scared…”_

_“Do you think she knows who he is?” Jack asked._

_“I think she does,” the Doctor confirmed. “And that knowledge was enough for her to have a panic attack.” He headed towards the door, only to have it slammed down right in front of him. “Get it open!” he screamed at Jack, aiming his sonic screwdriver at the systems in the hopes something – anything – will happen. “Get it open!”_

_It took a moment but eventually, the Doctor found the right setting. He didn’t even wait for the door to be completely open before running through it, a single thought in his mind._

_Eva._

_They ran, intent on taking the fastest route to the lab before noticing a group of Futurekind standing in front of them. Quickly, he turned around, stretching his mind in the attempt to think of another way to get to the lab._

_“This way!” Jack called, taking a sharp turn and the Doctor followed him, finding himself in front of yet another locked door._

_“Professor!” he called out, taking out his sonic screwdriver once more. “Professor, let me in! Let me in! Jack, get the door open_ now _!” he ordered. “Professor, where are you? Chantho, are you there? I need to explain, whatever you do, don’t open that watch. Eva? Eva, can you hear me? Eva!”_

_“They’re coming!” Martha screamed._

_“Open the door!” the Doctor called out. “Open the door, please! I’m begging you, professor, please listen to me! Just open the door, please!”_

_Jack slammed the handle of his gun on the lock, effectively breaking it and allowing them to walk into the room. For a moment, the Doctor could see the terrified look in Eva’s eyes before Yana pulled her into the TARDIS._

_He tried opening the door, first with his key and later with the screwdriver but Yana must have locked it from the inside, since nothing seemed to happen._

_“Let me in,” the Doctor called out, banging on the TARDIS doors. “Eva! Eva!” He could hear Martha and Jack talking behind him, but their words held no meaning in his mind. If something happened to Eva… it was all his fault. “I’m begging you,” he all but screamed. “Everything’s changed! It’s only the two of us! We’re the only ones left! Eva! Eva!”_

_He watched in horror as bright regeneration energy came out of the TARDIS’s windows, only brought back to reality at the sound of Martha’s scream._

_“Doctor, you’d better think of something!” Jack called out._

_“Now then, Doctor,” a new voice said from inside the TARDIS. “Ooo, new voice. Hello. Hello. Hello,” he said, trying out how the syllables sounded in his mouth. “Anyway, why don’t we stop and have a nice little chat while I tell you all my plans and you can work out a way to stop me, I don’t think!”_

_“Hold on,” Martha said, looking up. “I know that voice.”_

_“I’m asking you really properly,” the Doctor begged. “Just stop. Just think!”_

_“Use my name,” the voice said coldly, and the Doctor felt a tightening in his chest as he spoke again._

_“Master,” he almost whispered. “I’m sorry.”_

_“Tough!” the Master called out, and even before the Doctor heard the TARDIS’s signature whooshing, he knew what the other Time Lord was going to do._

_He took out his screwdriver, trying to remember the correct setting when a piercing scream cut through the air._

_“Doctor!”_

_It felt like a thousand knives were cutting through his hearts at the sound of Eva’s voice but he ignored it as he aimed his screwdriver at the TARDIS, sabotaging the navigation systems._

_“Doctor!” Eva called out again. “Doctor, please! Please!”_

_The Doctor could feel, more than see or hear, sparks coming out of the TARDIS console as what he did was complete. Eva kept screaming for him in the background, but he didn’t know what he could do other than hope for her necklace to take her away._

_“Oh, no you don’t!” he heard the Master calling. “End of the universe. Have fun. Bye, bye!”_

_“Eva!” the Doctor called, realizing she was left alone with the Master now. “Eva!”_

_“Doctor!” Eva screamed back. “Doctor!”_

_The TARDIS disappeared from sight and the Doctor was left looking at where it was just moments earlier, his throat dry and Eva’s voice ringing in his ears._

**EMH**

Eva was lulled back awake by a soft hand that played with her hair. It felt nice, she thought to herself, the long fingers twisting a curl gently and massaging her scalp. She sighed in content, pressing her head closer to the hand and as the other person chuckled lightly, an understanding came upon her.

_This was not the Doctor’s chuckle._

She jerked awake, jumping out of her bed and falling to the floor. Pain came from her elbow as it made contact with the floor and when she reached out to check the wound, she discovered she was wearing significantly less than she was when she passed out in the Console Room.

“Calm down,” the Master said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Forgive me if I find that hard to believe,” Eva snarled, pulling her blanket off the bed and using it to cover her body. “Where are my clothes?”

“I took them off when I put you in your bed,” the Master replied. “Don’t worry, I didn’t touch your undergarments. I did try to take off your socks but you are, apparently, very ticklish. Who knew?” he added with a small smile.

“Get out of my room,” Eva said.

“I’m not here to hurt you,” the Master repeated.

“I don’t believe you,” Eva said once more. “And even if I did, I wouldn’t care.”

“Why don’t you believe me?” the Master asked. “I never did anything to hurt you.”

Eva pulled herself up, finally able to look at him without her neck protesting. He wasn’t much taller than her – an inch or two, for sure, but certainly not as tall as some of the Doctor’s regenerations were. Honestly, when she stood next to Three or Four, she felt like a midget.

It was a lot easier to be intimidating when you could look in the eyes of the person you were talking to.

“You stabbed a sword through my chest,” she accused.

“I never meant you any harm,” the Master insisted.

“You were screaming ‘If I can’t have you, neither could he!’”

The Master winced. “I’ll admit,” he said, “Not my brightest moment.”

“What about when you tried to use me to get to the Doctor?” Eva questioned. “Or when you tried to release entropy into the universe, knowing I’ll die?”

“That was a long time ago,” the Master said. “Things are different now.”

“It wasn’t that long ago for me,” Eva said. “It wasn’t even a year ago for me.”

“No longer than ten months, I know,” the Master said.

“What?” Eva asked, stopping to count back the months since she first appeared in this universe. “How do you know that?”

“I ran some tests on you,” the Master explained.

“What?” Eva asked. “When?”

“While you slept,” the Master said dismissively.

“You ran tests on me while I _slept_? Do you even start to understand how creepy –”

“Do you intend to let me tell you the results any time soon or are you going to keep questioning the morals we both know I don’t have?” the Master asked.

Heat made itself known on Eva’s cheeks and she looked down, breaking eye contact with the Master for the first time since she woke up. “Sorry,” she muttered.

“It’s alright,” he replied. “What I was trying to tell you is that the tests results indicated severe malnourishment for the past ten months or so, in addition to irregular hormone levels that suggests uneven sleep patterns, and several infections caused by your lack of ability to keep up regular hygiene habits.”

“And in human language?” Eva questioned.

“You rarely eat, and it’s affecting your health,” the Master said. “You barely sleep, which affects your hormone levels and, in turn, your health. And small cuts that could have quickly healed if they were treated properly and kept clean became infections that would have killed you if it wasn’t for the fact that you can’t die.

“In short,” he concluded, “If you could die, life with the Doctor would have killed you already. And that’s without mentioning all of the other life-threatening situations he has the tendency to throw himself – and you – into.”

“Is it really that bad?” Eva asked. Of course, she knew her life jumping around the Doctor’s timeline weren’t the healthiest thing that could have happened to her, but surely it wouldn’t have _killed_ her.

“It’s worse,” the Master said curtly. “Starting today, you’ll take antibiotics against the infection. The TARDIS assisted me in setting up a diet that should get you to normal health in about two months and until your hormone levels return to normal, you will take a medicine that will make sure you sleep exactly eight hours a night.”

“You did all of that,” Eva said slowly, “To help me?”

“I already told you,” the Master frowned, “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“There’s a major difference between wanting to keep me alive and tending me back to health,” Eva commented.

“Just because that idiot couldn’t care less doesn’t mean I’m the same,” the Master replied. “Now get dressed and take your meds, we have a lot to do and not a lot of time.”

“We?” Eva repeated.

“Yes,” the Master said, daring her to argue with him. “ _We_. The TARDIS landed in London, the day before Christmas of 2006. Harriet Jones is now Prime Minister,” he added. “Apparently she made some changes in the economy, I have to say this woman knew what she was doing. Anyway, we need to start making arrangements for our stay here – a place to live, a job –”

“Forged documents,” Eva added bitterly. “Neither of us exists here.”

“That shouldn’t be that much of a problem,” the Master shrugged. “I got along with less.”

“You were also brainwashing innocent people by the hundreds,” Eva retorted.

“I was only doing it by the dozens,” the Master protested. “But if it makes you feel better, I won’t do it to any more people than I absolutely have to.”

“Fine,” Eva sighed, knowing it was going to be the best she got from the Time Lord. “What do you want me to do, anyway?”

“Put on something pretty,” the Master said. “We’re having a day out.”

He turned around, starting to leave the room and Eva sighed to herself before realizing what was missing – what had been missing since she woke up.

“Master!” she called out and he turned around, a pleased expression on his face.

“Yes?” he asked.

“My necklace,” Eva said. “Where is it?”

“Safekeeping,” the Master smirked. “Couldn’t have you jumping around now, could we?”

And with that, he walked out of the room, leaving Eva shivering even though the room wasn’t cold.

**EMH**

She wore a simple blue dress the TARDIS provided her with, matched with blue shoes and a small blue bag. As she walked out, she noticed the door was a deep blue colour as well, with patches of amber here and there.

“Look what I found!” the Master called out when she walked through the doors that led to the Console Room. At one of the corners, she could see the Doctor’s hand in a jar, but the Master ignored the place her eyes wandered to as he pushed something into her hand. “Apparently, the Doctor keeps a stash of psychic paper in his second drawer.”

Eva frowned for a moment, before deciding to drop the subject of the Master going through the Doctor’s personal belongings and turning to look at the paper he handed her.

It seemed like a normal ID card, one that she saw people using when she was younger. She was too young to have one when they came out, and it was cancelled before she was old enough for reasons she didn’t care much for at the age of fourteen, but now that they were back in the years the cards were used, it only made sense both she and the Master would need to have those.

However, it was the name on the card that made her breath hitch in her throat.

**_Surname:_** _Saxon_  
**Given Names:** Harold Ronald  
**Date of Birth:** 10-07-1970  
**Place of Birth:** Manchester

“Harold Saxon,” she repeated aloud.

“Harry for short,” the Master said. “And one for you,” he added, handing her a second paper.

**_Surname:_** _Saxon_  
**Given Names:** Eva Merida  
**Date of Birth:** 04-03-1987  
**Place of Birth:** London

“My daughter,” the Master smiled. “It will probably take us a couple of weeks to properly forge and submit the documents in order to get real ones, but this will do well for now.”

Eva felt sick, reaching out a hand to lean on the console. “How did you know my middle name?” she asked.

“The Doctor has a file on you in his database,” the Master shrugged. “You must have told it to him once and he put it in the system. Now, I know your official birthday is on December 1st, but March 4th is when your body will next reach the end of a year cycle of living.”

Eva closed her eyes, trying to comprehend what he just told her. He had preformed a series of tests on her body while she slept, that much she already knew, but knowing that not only did the Doctor had a file on her in the TARDIS database, but that the Master read through it? That was too much.

“What else is written in there?” she asked.

“Not much,” the Master shrugged. “There’s a DNA sample, but so far it’s not a match to anything in his systems. Date of birth, full name, references to times when you were referred to as ‘The Omniscient’ – most of these are still in your future – and percentage of Human at different ages.”

“What?” Eva asked, confused. “What do you mean percentage of Human?”

“You didn’t know you weren’t completely Human?” the Master asked, confused.

“I did,” Eva replied, “But why does he needs the data from different ages?”

“He didn’t tell you?” the Master questioned. “Really?”

“Tell me what?”

“Your cells,” the Master said. “They’re constantly mutating – your DNA is constantly changing. Your Human percentage is slowly descending.”

Eva furrowed her brows in worry and confusion. “What percent Human am I now?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” the Master replied. “I’ll have to check, but I’m guessing somewhere between 75 and 85, according to the data.”

“And what happens when I reach zero?”

“Your file doesn’t say,” the Master muttered, scanning the data. “The lowest reading I see here is 42 percent… but you still have time until you reach that,” he added quickly, seeing the look on her face. “And that timeline won’t happen, anyway. For now, let’s focus on setting up everything we need for our life here.”

“O-Okay,” Eva said quietly, taking the hand he offered her without giving it too much thought and taking a couple of steps out of the TARDIS with him before he suddenly paused.

“Did he give you a TARDIS key yet?” he questioned.

“Er…” Eva looked at the Master, confused. “No, not yet.”

“Well, seeing as it’s going to be our house until we can settle on an actual place of our own, you might as well take this,” the Master said, searching his top pocket until he found a key and handing it to her. “Now, we have a lot to do but I think it would be best if we head to the bank first, and maybe the hair salon later…”

He kept talking, but Eva was no longer listening. Instead, she looked at the small object in her hand, swallowing down the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes.

She always dreamed about the day the Doctor would finally give her a TARDIS key. She remembered River telling her, back at the Library, that she could open the doors with just a snap of her fingers, but she knew that having her own TARDIS key meant so much more than that. It meant that the Doctor trusted her enough to give her access to the power that came with the TARDIS, it meant he cared for her enough to invite her into his home – and maybe, one day, make it _their_ home as he always called it in his older bodies.

Yes, she had a lot of dreams of the day she would finally have her own TARDIS key.

But in none of them it was the Master giving it to her.


	2. The Heart Yearns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! On time! (For a change)
> 
> Fair warning - later in the chapter, there will be a conversation about Christmas customs. As a non-Christian, I have never actually celebrated Christmas myself and so most of what I know is due to online research and asking a friend of mine. Feel free to let me know if you think there's anything inaccurate about my description, and I will fix it right up :)

“Eva,” the Master sighed from where he stood outside her room, knowing the girl on the other side of the door was hearing every word he said and choosing to ignore it. “Evie, I’m sorry, but we had to do it. Will you just talk to me?” he asked. “You don’t even have to open the door, just… just talk to me, Evie.”

The day started off so well. They walked out of the TARDIS and headed to the bank to start giving more life to their fake identities. He opened an account for himself, and another for Eva, and transferred enough money for each of them to be able to live several lifetimes with no worries.

They talked, and he could almost see how the protective shell Eva placed upon herself from the moment she woke up that morning was fading away.

She told him of her adventures with the Doctor, and as she retailed the tale of Lakertya, he couldn’t help but feel pleased at the Rani’s ultimate fate, remembering her hatred towards Eva and noting yet another attempt to permanently kill the young time jumper.

She told him of the people she met, and he was more than a bit intrigued by the fact she met Robin Hood, making a mental note to himself about Eva not only being an apparent natural talent with a bow and arrow, but also enjoying it enough for it to be her weapon of choice when she became something between a ward and a guard of Queen Victoria.

She even started telling him about her life before the Doctor, and an idea started forming in his mind when he saw how enthusiastic she was when she talked about her ongoing undergrad in History.

Yes, all was going well… until they arrived at their next destination. Eva looked from the sign on the door and at him, a confused expression starting to appear on her face.

“You’re having a haircut?” she asked. “Why? Your hair looks fine to me.”

“I’m not having a haircut, Eva,” he replied softly.

“Then why…” Understanding started to make itself known on her features, combined with anger and just a bit of fear. “No.”

“Eva…” the Master sighed.

“No,” she repeated sternly. “No. You are _not_ cutting my hair.”

“I never planned to,” he replied honestly.

“Then what _did_ you plan?” Eva questioned. “Straightening it? Colouring, maybe? Why not just go all the way and bleach it?” For the first time since Eva started talking, the Master broke eye contact with her. At the movement, Eva’s eyes widened and she took a small step back in surprise and slight horror. “ _No!_ ”

“Eva –”

“No!” she called out, lowering her voice once again only when she saw a passer-by turning his head to look at them. “No, you are not bleaching my hair like some… like some _bimbo_!”

“I love your hair,” the Master said, reaching out towards a strand of it only for Eva to pull her head away from his reach. “I really do. It’s wild, and beautiful, and unique. Too unique,” he said. “You’ll be recognized in an instant.”

“I don’t want to change my hair,” Eva said, the curls in question moving from side to side as she shook her head. “I didn’t touch it in years, Master. Ever since I was fourteen – not even a trim!”

By the time she finished talking, Eva’s voice was trembling and tears were shining bright in her eyes. Her hair was tucked behind her ears, as if they could act as barriers between the way it was now and what was going to happen to it.

“I’m sorry,” the Master said, and he truly was.

But there was nothing else he could say.

They both knew, right from the moment they stopped next to the hair salon, that there was only one way this discussion could end. They both knew that there was no other way – it simply wasn’t realistic for Eva to keep her hair the way it was.

Too many people living in this time could recognize her. Jack, Martha, Mickey, Jackie, Rose… Even the Doctor might accidently catch sight of her, especially seeing as her life will be pretty public if she was going to be Harold Saxon’s daughter.

She did what was needed from her, eventually. It wasn’t like she had much choice, but the Master couldn’t help but appreciate the fact that she didn’t cause trouble that might attract attention to them. She walked into the hair salon and sat quietly on the chair as the ill-smelling substance was placed on her hair.

When the hairdresser questioned a stray tear that dropped on Eva’s cheeks, the Master started worrying, but Eva lied without hesitating, saying she had just gone through a breakup.

“That’s the reason for the change,” she added, marking at her hair.

“Nothing like a new haircut to get over a guy,” the hairdresser said with an understanding smile and added some pink highlights to Eva’s hair. “On the house,” she told the Master when he tried to add it to the bill. “We’ve all gone through that at one point or another. Just make sure your daughter remembers it’s not the end of the world.”

“I will,” the Master promised before following Eva outside.

The now-blonde girl asked where they were heading next, and the Master, who decided today was tiring enough for the both of them, told her they were going back to the TARDIS. She made a move to light a cigarette, only for him to take the pack from her and she rolled her eyes at him before starting to head back the way they came.

From that moment on, she hadn’t said a word. He tried starting a conversation a couple of times, but Eva hadn’t even bothered looking up from the ground as he spoke. As soon as they reached the TARDIS, she walked straight to her room and locked the door behind her.

And it was that seemingly simple act which led them to the complicated situation they were in at the moment.

“Eva,” the Master said once more, knocking on the door. “Eva, are you… are you there?”

His hand jumped to his jacket’s chest pocket, making sure Eva’s pendant was still there. She couldn’t have jumped away… but that didn’t mean she couldn’t have run away. After all, they were still in the TARDIS, and the machine could have easily lead Eva to the Console Room and out the door while he was standing here in the corridor, trying to talk to her.

“Eva, open the door right now!” he called out. “You have until the count of three! One. Two…”

The door unlocked itself and the Master didn’t waste time before throwing it open and bursting inside to find an empty room.

“Fuck,” he muttered to himself.

If Eva ran away, it would ruin everything. She could’ve gone to the Doctor, or to any of his companions. She could tell people the truth of who he really was. She could even – Rassilon forbid – go straight to UNIT.

However, before he could start planning the damage control he undoubtedly needed to do now that Eva was gone and think of ways to bring her back before anybody would notice her presence, he noticed two doors on the opposite wall of the room than the one he came through.

Slowly, he walked towards them, hand reaching out and opening the first. He fully expected to see a corridor on the other side of it, and so was more than a bit surprised when what appeared to be a house’s backyard was revealed to him.

There wasn’t much in the yard – grass, trees, two chairs and a table upon which was an ashtray that gave away the room’s purpose. This was Eva’s smoking area in the TARDIS, though he couldn’t begin to theorise why this was its chosen design. He took a step forwards, looking at the room more closely.

Other than the still-hot stub in the ashtray, there was nothing worth mentioning in the room. No other doors than the one he came through, for certain. That meant wherever Eva disappeared to, she didn’t do it through this room. With that conclusion in mind, the Master turned around, not failing to notice that the door he came through was now made of glass through which a living room could be seen, and walked out.

Once out, he closed the door behind him and turned his attention to its sister.

This time, he wasn’t as surprised to see his expectations of what waited behind the door were incorrect. It didn’t help matters much, as he didn’t seem to fully understand what _was_ behind it.

It wasn’t a corridor, per se, but it could easily be mistaken as such. As the Master looked around, his eyes found shelves where walls should have been, and books to his right and left instead of stone or metal. It wasn’t a corridor, but an isle – a library isle. Setting foot inside the room, he found the floor was covered with a thick rug, and the overwhelming scent of books attacked his nose.

Shaking his head for a moment, his other foot followed the first and he set out in the search for Eva.

It didn’t take long. She sat, a book in her hand, at the edge of the swimming pool the Doctor decided belonged to a room full of paper. Though she was still dressed, Eva’s shoes rested next to her and her bare feet touched the water, moving back and forth lightly as she read.

The Master paused for a moment, looking at the cinema-worthy scene displayed in front of him, before taking his own shoes off and sitting next to her. He noticed the way Eva’s shoulders tensed slightly, but that was the most attention his presence received from the Time Jumper.

They sat in silence for a couple of minutes, Eva reading while the Master looked at her expectantly. Eventually, he seemed to realize that if he waited for her to speak first, they will forever be silent, and decided he wasn’t going to let that happen.

“What are you reading?” he asked.

Eva didn’t respond, not gracing him with even the slightest indication that she even heard his words. He leaned forward, trying to get the name from the cover but only managing to see something about a wardrobe before Eva turned the book away.

“Eva,” he sighed. “Will you at least look at me?”

“Can you please leave?” Eva asked tightly. “You’re quite disturbing me at the moment.”

“Eva, I’m sorry –”

“I know you are,” she told him, still not looking up from her book. “It doesn’t make me any less angry. You have taken almost any control I ever had on my life, but if there’s one thing you cannot do, it’s to force me to spend time with you. Leave.”

“You know there was no other choice,” the Master said. “You understand we had to do it – I know you do. You wouldn’t have lied to the hairdresser otherwise.”

“Whether or not I understand is not the discussion,” Eva bit out. “Just because I understand doesn’t mean I’m happy with it. And just because it was necessary doesn’t mean you couldn’t have given me more than a moment’s notice. Since you have decided to kidnap me, we’re going to be living together for a _very_ long time – trust me, I know just how long we’re going to be stuck together,” she added bitterly. “You made sure I won’t try to run away by taking my necklace so I’m stuck here with you. But if you keep acting like this, keeping me in the dark about decisions regarding _my life_ , necklace or not, I _will_ leave.”

“You…” For a moment, the Master was confused. “That’s not why I took your necklace.”

“Really?” Eva sighed. “ _That’s_ what you focus on?”

“This is important, Eva,” the Master said. “I took your necklace so you wouldn’t _jump_ away, not to make sure you didn’t _run_ away. There’s a difference. You…” he took a deep breath. “There are a lot of things you don’t know yet. I guess for you, this is when it all started, but for me… the thought of you staying because of your necklace never crossed my mind.”

“You honestly expect me to believe that?”

“No,” he replied simply. “Just like I don’t expect you to believe I won’t hurt you. I know I didn’t give the best impression in the past, but I’ve changed since. Our… relationship, for lack of a better word, changed since.”

“Please, leave,” Eva whispered.

“I will if you truly want me to,” the Master nodded. “But I’d like you to join me for dinner later today – the TARDIS will show you where. After all,” he smiled softly, “It _is_ Christmas Eve.”

He stood up and left as quietly as he arrived, leaving no proof that he was ever even there other than his shoes, which still rested next to Eva’s. She sighed, placing a bookmark where she stopped reading before placing it by her side. She didn’t know what to think of what the Master just said, other than that it seemed to be a longer version of the Doctor’s way to say she didn’t understand because she was _young_.

But it was the way he said it… it wasn’t like the Doctor, who made her feel like she was doing something wrong by not being old enough. The Master seemed to understand she didn’t really have much of a choice on the matter and even though it was clear to see he wished for an older version of her, it didn’t make _this_ version any less important in his eyes.

He said he didn’t take the necklace to keep her from running away. Did he even consider the possibility she’ll run away? He must have. He said he wasn’t going to hurt her. But he hurt her in the past – he _killed_ her in the past. Could things have changed so much?

From what it seemed, the only thing Eva knew for certain about her ‘Relationship’ with the Master, as he had called it, was that they were going to spend the next eighteen months together. She would watch as he slowly became Harold Saxon and, pretending to be his daughter, will more than likely be forced to assist him in becoming Prime Minister.

She dreaded thinking any further than that point in time. Yes, Eva was going to be stuck with the Master for a _very_ long time.

The words she told Ian just days ago – could it really be? It seemed so much further away – rang in her mind. _“I love my life,”_ she said. _“Even if only because it’s better than living a life I hate.”_

This – being Eva Saxon and living with the Master, playing the role of his daughter – was her life for the more than foreseeable future. And she might as well grow to love it, even if only because it was still better than the alternative.

And she would start tonight. Dinner with the Master, getting to know him better and starting to learn just _what_ she meant to him at this point of his timeline.

She stood up, shaking water off her feet before heading back to her room for a shower and possibly a change of clothes, _‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’_ long forgotten next to two pairs of shoes.

**EMH**

Eva stared at the door in front of her uncertainly, her hand just above the handle as she tried to muster up the courage to open it and walk inside. She knew she was being ridiculous – the TARDIS wouldn’t have taken her here if there was danger behind these doors. Well, any sort of danger other than a mad Time Lord with a fixation on her who had killed her once already, and was planning total domination of the universe, that is.

There was no _immediate_ danger behind these doors.

The point was… she wasn’t sure she even _wanted_ to go in.

But the Master’s words from before echoed in her ears. “It _is_ Christmas Eve.”

It was Christmas – her first in this universe and even though the circumstances were less than ideal, she was determined to make it a good one. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Eva opened the door and walked inside.

The first thing she noticed as she walked inside was that the room was nicely decorated. It looked like a living room, not too big as to not appear empty but not too small, either. She was surprised to see a Christmas tree at the corner of the room, but a pang of sadness hit her heart when she saw no presents underneath it.

_Never mind_ , she told herself. _Christmas is more than gifts. Christmas is a state of mind._

“Eva!”

Eva’s head snapped up to see the Master sitting by a table full of more food than just the two of them could eat in a week, not to mention a meal. He was smiling at her, and she fidgeted on her spot, feeling more than a bit uncomfortable at his gaze.

“I’m glad you came,” he said, and she could hear the honesty in his voice.

“Didn’t really fancy spending Christmas Eve alone,” she told him flatly, eyeing the chair in front of him for a moment before sitting down.

“Still,” the Master said, smiling slightly. “I’m glad you came. Let’s eat?” he offered. “I’m not really sure how this custom works, but from my research it appeared that Christmas dinner should involve turkey, potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and vegetables.”

“It should also take place tomorrow,” Eva muttered. “But thanks for trying.”

The Master’s face fell, before a small smile popped on his face. “I could fly us to tomorrow,” he offered. “And then we’ll eat in the right time.”

“No, we wouldn’t,” Eva sighed. “Never mind, just forget it.”

The Master looked at Eva for another moment before looking at the table again. “So, er… food?”

“Yes, please,” Eva replied, realizing how hungry she was – she didn’t really eat since… well, since she woke up at the Med Bay after passing out from lack of food and sleep. She grabbed the turkey, placing some on her plate before pouring gravy over it. “Could you pass the Yorkshire pudding, please?”

“Yes, of course,” the Master said, quickly doing as she asked before looking at the table questioningly.

The look on his face very nearly made Eva burst with laughter.

“Take some turkey and pour gravy over it,” she ordered. “Then, you eat the Yorkshire pudding with the gravy, and once that’s done you eat the meat with the vegetables.”

“That seems like an odd way of eating,” the Master commented, though he did just as she told him.

“That’s how it was back home,” Eva explained. “Gran always made sure to bring duck, as well, since that’s how they ate it when she was a kid. But in the end, everybody always ate the turkey and only whoever wanted an extra took the duck.”

“I don’t think I ever heard you talking about your childhood,” the Master commented.

“Well, not much to talk about, is there?” Eva shrugged. “I’m here, they’re in the other universe. I’m never going to see them again. It took me long enough to be able to think about the memories without wanting to cry, I don’t really feel like talking about it most of the time.”

“Would you mind telling me?” the Master asked and Eva hesitated before speaking again.

“There’s not much to tell, really,” she said. “We were an ordinary family. My parents, an older brother, a younger sister and me. Mum’s a teacher. Dad’s a journalist. Mike – my brother – was in a band, they used to do shows at the city. Nyssa just started Year Ten when I left. We didn’t live in the city,” she explained, “But we went to school there. Most of our friends are from there. My cousins lived close by.”

“Sounds nice,” the Master said.

“It was,” Eva replied. “It was nice, and calm… in a world without aliens, where my biggest worry was what was next on the telly. I think I’d go crazy if I have to return there now,” she laughed. “But I do miss my parents. Wish I could at least give them a proper goodbye.”

“They’re not really your parents, though,” the Master said. “Are they?”

“They may not be my biological Mother and Father, but that doesn’t make them any less my Mum and Dad,” Eva said. “They raised me. They taught me right from wrong, gave me anything I ever wanted – as long as it was reasonable, of course. They were the ones who made me the person I am today.”

“But don’t you ever wonder?” the Master asked. “About your rea – your biological parents?” he corrected. “The ones from this universe?”

“I never felt the need to,” Eva shrugged. “I don’t care much about my birth mum, seeing as she left less than five minutes after I was born, and I already know who my biological dad is…” Eva trailed off, her eyes widening as she realized the importance of the information she just revealed. “I shouldn’t have said that,” she muttered.

“You know who your dad is?” the Master asked. “How? Why doesn’t the Doctor have it in his records?”

“He doesn’t know,” Eva replied. “I never told him, I didn’t even –” she cut herself before she could say another thing she shouldn’t say.

“Didn’t even what?” the Master asked.

“Nothing,” Eva replied quickly.

“Didn’t even _what_?”

“Leave it,” she bit out. “Just leave it, Master. It’s none of your business.”

“I could find out in other ways,” the Master said.

“The Doctor has been trying to find out for centuries and he still hasn’t,” Eva replied. “I’d like to see you try.”

“It will be my pleasure,” the Master replied, smiling at the angry glare Eva sent his way.

“That’s enough about me,” Eva said. “What about you? What is your failed attempt to take over the world going to include this time?”

“It’s not going to be a failed attempt,” the Master replied. “I already started looking for possible jobs, as soon as I settle on one that I want, I’ll build a background story to make sure I get it. So far, the top two options are Ministry of Defence or Torchwood.” Eva huffed amusedly into her plate, not looking up at the Master. “What is it?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Eva replied in a singsong voice. “It’s just that, if you don’t want your entire plan to crumble in six months, you probably shouldn’t take a job at Torchwood.”

“Why not?” the Master asked. “What do you know?”

“Spoilers.”

“As if I didn’t hate that word enough already,” the Master sighed. “Fine. Ministry of Defence it is.”

Eva let out a sound that was half amusement and half desperation, focusing solely on her food. Neither of them said another word until after the Master finished eating, stood up and brought Christmas pudding to the table.

“Before you dig in,” the Master said, more than a bit amused at the way Eva was looking at the dessert, “I have a present for you.”

“Oh,” Eva said, surprised. “You… you didn’t have to.”

“It is, to my understanding, a tradition to give gifts on Christmas,” the Master replied.

“Not… not on Christmas Eve…” Eva sighed. “And, besides, I didn’t get you anything.”

“In the past two days, I kidnapped you from the year 100 trillion, forced you to stay with me and made you bleach your hair, even though you hate it,” the Master recalled. “I hardly think I deserve a present.”

“Still…” Eva said weakly. “It’s the polite thing to do.”

“In Rassilon’s name, are you always like this?” the Master asked. “Stay quiet and take your gift!”

“Okay,” Eva muttered, reaching out and taking the small box he offered her. “No need to get annoyed. Who’d hear, what did I already… Oh, Master,” she sighed, looking at the sapphire bracelet in the box. “It’s beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it,” the Master said. “I wasn’t sure if you’d prefer sapphires or emeralds…”

“Definitely sapphires,” Eva told him. “Not such a fond of the colour green.”

“Why not?” the Master asked. “If I remember, the green dress you wore with fake King John suited you well.”

“I just don’t like it,” Eva shrugged, gently taking the bracelet out of the box. “Help me put it?” she asked, handing it to him and reaching out her hand.

“Gladly,” the Master replied, fastening the bracelet on Eva’s wrist before looking at it, admiring the gems. “Beautiful.”

“Thank you,” Eva said, smiling softly.

“You’re very welcome,” the Master replied. “So… dessert?”

“Not yet,” Eva said. “You’re supposed to eat dessert while sitting in front of the telly.”

“Really?” the Master asked, confused.

“That’s how we did it back home,” Eva shrugged as she all but threw herself on the couch. “Come on, let’s see what’s on.”

“The news,” the Master replied, turning on the TV. “Something about a message coming from a space probe named _Guinevere One_. Honestly, this planet is so behind on technology it’s kind of sad sometimes. Although…” he muttered, looking at the picture displayed on the television. “Well, that sure is interesting.”

On the screen, was a picture of a distinctively alien face – a Sycorax, Eva knew. They were on their way to Earth, they were going to use blood control to hypnotize a third of the population, they will kill innocents and it won’t be until the early hours of tomorrow morning that the Doctor –

She gasped as she felt burning pain on her wrist. Looking down at it, she could see a small burn forming underneath the bracelet the Master gave her. Did he do that? Did he make the bracelet burn? But why? All she did was think about the episode right after the Doctor –

“Ouch,” she muttered, rubbing her wrist. The pain was connected to the Doctor – _burn_ – it stung whenever she thought of him. The Master did something to the bracelet to make sure that whenever she thought about the Doctor – _burn_ – it will hurt her.

She swallowed hard as she saw the Master looking between the bracelet and the screen, an odd smile starting to form on his lips.

“Oh, Doctor…” he sighed to himself. “What have you gotten yourself into _now_?”


	3. The Tears Dry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only just realized I didn't post the next chapter last week! Here it is, and I will post the next one in a week, as scheduled.
> 
> By the way, I've been wondering if anybody noticed the theme I was keeping with the titles for these past chapters? Let me know if you noticed or if you didn't and you're curious :)

Eva didn’t look up from her phone as the car she was in drove into the road leading to the mansion. _The Saxon Mansion_ , as she guessed people would soon start referring to it, but for now it was nothing but a newly rebuilt house. She could feel the Master looking at her with slight annoyance, but she couldn’t care less.

He was the one who told her they were playing a role whenever they were next to other people. Some days, she played the role of perfect daughter. Others, she would be the lovable celebrity.

Today, she was the over-privileged rich girl and anybody who had anything to say about that could go to hell for all she cared.

She couldn’t wait until everybody left. Even though that meant she would be left alone with the Master, it also meant she could go back to being Evangeline Miller, rather than Eva Saxon.

It was a couple of days after New Year’s that the Master bought the house, but as she saw it from the corner of her eye, she had to admit he a lot to make it liveable for both of them in the month that passed. It was far too big for just two people to live in, but then again so was the TARDIS.

At least there she had the time machine to keep her company whenever the Master left her alone for hours. What would she have here?

She could already feel herself starting to miss the TARDIS. It had been such an important part of her life for the past eleven months, and it was hard for her to even consider the possibility of voluntarily being away from it. Nevertheless, as public figures Harold and Eva Saxon had to be living in a house, not a multi-dimensional time machine.

She sighed as she turned her attention back to her phone, playing ‘Snake’ – not that she’d ever let the Master know that.

She only had one year and five months until the Doctor comes back. Granted, she’d have problems of a whole different kind then, but she’ll burn that bridge when she’ll get to it.

“We’re here,” the Master – _Saxon, she should start thinking about him as Saxon, at least when they were in public_ – said.

“Are we?” Eva drawled, earning herself a less-than-impressed look from the driver. “Never would have guessed.”

“Eva,” the Master – _Saxon_ – sighed.

“I’m sorry, _Father_ ,” she said innocently, empathizing the word. “Did I say something wrong?”

“Eva…”

“Fine,” Eva sighed, rolling her eyes as she put her phone in her pocket. “Geez, you’re so uptight today.”

“I have an important meeting this afternoon and I’d like to show you around the house before I need to go,” Saxon replied.

“Yet another problem that could have been solved if you’d have showed me the house before today.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Saxon said. “I didn’t want to show it to you before it was ready.”

“Well, don’t complain to me about your lacking time planning,” Eva retorted. “What meeting is it, anyways?”

“About the book,” Saxon replied as the car came to a stop. “Out we go.”

“Fun, fun, fun,” Eva grumbled under her breath, running a hand through her blonde locks before following him out.

Up close, the Mansion looked even bigger. Eva couldn’t begin to imagine why the Master thought they needed a house so big but, apparently, he did.

“Come,” the Master said, taking her hand in his. “I’ll show you around.”

As they walked in and the master started his tour around the place, Eva started understanding why the house was so big – there were so many pointless rooms. Living room, kitchen, inside _and_ outside gardens – those she could understand, at least to a certain extent. A television room filled with CDs of various shows and movies? Not so much.

There was a study – Saxon’s study, and a living room far too big for just two people to sit in. there was a bloody swimming pool.

“Neither of us has any friends,” she told him when he showed her the guest room.

“I know,” the Master sighed, “But I couldn’t think of anything else to do with this room. A second television room seemed a bit redundant.”

If it wasn’t for the fact that he was completely serious, Eva might have burst out laughing.

He didn’t open the door to his room, only showing her where it was before turning to the door across the hall from it and opening it to reveal her room.

As she took it in, Eva’s jaw dropped. It was a near exact replica of her room in the TARDIS – which, in turn, was a near exact replica of her room back home.

The bookshelves, the desk, the wardrobe, the wall-sized window – all of these made her feel like home. Like Mike or Nyssa would barge through the door at any moment, like her parents would call her for lunch in just a minute.

And the bed, the rug on the floor, the pictures on the wall – all of these also made her feel like home. Like any of the Doctor’s companions would barge through the door at any moment, like the Doctor himself would call her for an adventure in just a minute.

“The pictures,” she found herself whispering, looking at them with disbelief.

“Replicas,” the Master replied. “Didn’t want to risk the originals getting ruined if I tried to move them.”

Eva wasn’t sure which of them was more surprised when she turned around and wrapped her hands around his neck in a tight embrace. It was the first time since she initiated contact with him since they arrived at this time period. For her, it was the first time she ever initiated contact with him.

“Thank you,” she whispered in his ear.

“There’s more,” the Master said softly, gently guiding her towards a door right across from them.

Eva hesitantly let go of the Master and headed towards the door before pulling it open.

“Oh my bloody…” she muttered in disbelief. “I have a library. In my room.” She turned to look at the Master. “There’s a bloody library in my room.”

“I noticed,” he said dryly.

“Shut up.” She looked back through the door before turning back to the Master. “There’s a _library_. In my _bedroom_.”

“Do you like it?”

“Like it?” Eva asked. “I love it! Thank you, thank you so much!”

“You’re very welcome,” the Master said, smiling. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.”

“Bye,” Eva said, not even looking at him as she was once again too amazed by the library. “Have fun.”

“I doubt it,” the Master sighed but he walked away nonetheless, leaving Eva to explore the library further.

He never said where he kept the TARDIS.

Eva didn’t ask.

**EMH**

Eva was covered in flour top to bottom, humming to herself as she moved across the messy kitchen, opening one of the ovens and checking on the chocolate cake inside before turning to the other one, pushing a tray of cookies inside. She didn’t seem to mind the mess, but as the Master walked into the room, he couldn’t help but stare in horror at what appeared to be a warzone of eggs and baking powder.

“Coffee’s over there,” she said, pouring powdered sugar over an apple pie that rested amongst the eggshells and marking at what might have been a coffeepot before it was covered in batter. “Be careful when you go by the counter, I accidently dropped an egg there earlier.”

“Eva?” he asked, considering heading towards the fridge for milk before deciding against it when he saw the frosting that covered the handle.

“Yes?”

“What the bloody hell is going on in here?”

“There’s a bake sale for sick children today,” Eva replied as she wrapped the cake and placed it next to several more. “I’ve been up since four in the morning.”

“You’re… cooking?”

“I don’t _cook_ ,” Eva said, rolling her eyes. “I _bake_. Watch out!” she added, pulling him back before he stepped inside a pool of molten chocolate and butter. “I thought we could go there today – it will be fun, and it’s for a good cause. Plus, it’s great for that publicity thing you keep talking to me about.”

“I work today,” the Master said.

“Call a day off,” Eva retorted, not looking up at him. “There are sick children involved.”

“Eva, you…” the Master took another worried glance around the kitchen. “You’ve completely lost it.”

“Of course I’ve lost it,” Eva said, rolling her eyes. “I’ve barely left the house in the past three weeks, didn’t leave the TARDIS at all before that and yesterday was bleeding Valentine’s Day. I want to go out. I _need_ to go out. And did I mention the sick children?”

“You really want to go to that bake sale, don’t you?” the Master asked, noting how Eva took one cake out of the oven and reheating it again for a different one.

“I really, _really_ do,” Eva said, pausing and looking at him. “Could we? Please? I even baked most of the cakes already!”

“Most of the…” From what the Master could see, Eva baked five different cakes already – not counting cookies and the cake she was about to get in the oven. “How many more do you have?”

“Not a lot,” Eva shrugged. “Just the cheesecake and the cookies that are in the oven. But I need to finish the frosting on the cupcakes and I’m waiting for _these_ –” She marked at the general area of the fridge “– to cool down in order to make the sandwich cookies.”

“When does the bake sale starts?”

“Officially, eleven,” Eva said. “But since we’re selling, we need to be there by ten thirty, and it’s about thirty minutes by car since we live in the middle of nowhere.”

“So if you want to be there on time, we need to be in the car by ten,” the Master surmised. “Tell you what, if you promise you’ll get yourself – and the kitchen – clean in time, I’ll finish the sandwich cookies and come with you. Deal?”

“Deal!” Eva called excitedly, moving forward to hug him but stopping herself at the last moment, not wishing to get his suit covered with flour. “I’ll start cleaning the kitchen. Here’s _dulce de leche_ for the cookies,” she rambled, reaching into one of the cupboards as he took off his jacket and tie. “Oh my god, it’s gonna be so much fun! They bring the children from the hospital at around noon, and they get free cake, and the doctors always tell them not to have too much but you know they don’t really mean it or they wouldn’t have brought them in the first place, and…”

The Master started putting the sandwich cookies together, listening to Eva go on and on about the bake sale.

Sometimes, it was easy to forget she really was nothing more than a twenty-year-old girl. But as she talked his ear off with the excitement only someone so young could have, the Master couldn’t help but smile.

**EMH**

To be honest, the bake sale wasn’t nearly as bad expected it to be. At first, when he looked at the different people who passed by, talking and eating, he had to fight the urge to vomit. But once the sick children arrived, smiling and laughing with joy at the sweets they were offered, his feelings shifted.

There was an odd feeling in his hearts – one that didn’t feel like hatred, much to his surprise. The sight of Eva beaming as she spoke to the kids made him feel… content.

Oh, have him regenerate now, he never wanted to feel like that again.

Though, admittedly, while he would never admit it out loud and even less so when Eva could hear, the entire event was – dare he say it – _not torturous_.

“Oh my god!” he heard a teenager calling out. “Jessi, come look at this!”

“What is it?” another girl – Jessi – asked, stepping closer. “Oh my god… Mica, it’s…”

“I know!”

“Is everything okay?” Eva asked, stepping closer to the girls. “Oh, the Rainbow Cake. Yup, gotta love the Rainbow Cake.”

“Sorry,” Jessi said shyly. “It’s just… the cake looks like…”

“It’s like Pride colours!” Mica exclaimed, her eyes shining happily.

“Well, I sure hope so,” Eva replied with a bright smile. “That’s kind of what I was aiming for. Would you like a slice?”

“Yes!”

“Yes, please,” Jessi said, her voice shaking.

“Here you go,” Eva said, handing each of them some cake before looking back at Jessi. “How old are you?” she asked softly.

“Fourteen,” Jessi replied. “And a half.”

“I was fifteen when I first realized,” Eva told her. “Took me a long while to accept it, mind you, and even longer to tell others. I just wanted you to know… it’s not easy, sometimes, but it gets better. Remember that.”

“I…” Jessi’s voice wavered. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it,” Eva smiled. “Now go. You have an inhuman amount of cakes to eat today.”

The two girls smiled and turned around. As they walked away, Eva’s eyes focused on their intertwined hands and she sighed happily.

“Young love,” she said before looking back at their list of selling for the day.

The Master looked at her for a moment before speaking, “I didn’t know you were gay.”

“I’m Bi,” Eva corrected. “And did you really never realize?”

“Well…” Now that he thought about it, there _were_ more than a few hints. “Bi?”

“Bisexual,” the Time Jumper explained. “Attracted to both men and women.”

The Master frowned for a moment, trying to understand what it meant – if it even meant anything. It didn’t, probably. He opened his mouth to ask another question when he saw a familiar face.

“Miss Cole?” he asked, surprised, and the woman in question looked up at him.

“Mr. Saxon,” She greeted politely. “Fancy seeing you here.”

“I could say the same,” he replied. “And I told you, please, call me Harry.”

“Okay, Harry,” the woman said with a small smile. “Call me Lucy, then.”

Eva’s eyes darted to the couple for a moment as she heard the name but it didn’t seem either of them realized, too immersed in their conversation to notice.

“What are you doing here?” the Master asked.

“My family are donors of the hospital,” Lucy explained. “We double the amount raised today, so there’s a need to show our presence.” She sounded like she was repeating something someone else said – which, to be honest, was more than likely true. “You?”

“Woke up this morning to see Evie already baked most of these,” he replied, marking at the many cakes in front of them.

“Did someone say my name?” Eva asked, looking at the two of them. “By the way, Dad, the lemon pie sold out, if anyone asks.”

“You must be Eva,” Lucy said, smiling at the young woman. “I heard a lot about you.”

“Funny,” Eva said with a smile of her own, turning to look at her ‘father’, “Cause I didn’t hear _anything_ about you.”

“Lucy’s helping me with my book,” the Master quickly said. “I told you about it.”

“About the book, yes,” Eva said. “About the pretty woman you apparently work closely with…”

“I should probably go,” Lucy said, clearly starting to feel uncomfortable. “It was lovely meeting you, Eva. Harry… I’m sure I’ll see you around.”

She turned to leave and the Master glanced at Eva, who raised her brow, before calling out after her.

“Wait!” he said, and Lucy turned to look at him. “Why don’t you come over sometime? Dinner, or… something like that?”

“I… er…” Lucy blushed slightly. “I’d like that. You have my number,” she added, walking away again.

“You have her number, eh?” Eva asked, nudging his side playfully. “Why didn’t you tell me about her?”

“I wanted to make sure she’ll do,” the Master replied.

“Do what? Do _for_ what?”

“I told you already that Harriet Jones was forced to resign,” the Master said. “There are still a couple of months before the next candidates are announced. Now, I already have a loveable candidate,” he marked at himself, “and a loveable daughter,” he marked at Eva. “All I need is a loveable wife and we have a winning team.”

“So she’s nothing more than a pawn in your game?” Eva asked angrily.

“Of course,” the Master said. He thought that much was obvious.

“What about me?” Eva asked. “Am I nothing more than a pawn, too?”

“Of course not!” the Master said. “No, you’re my –” he paused, unable to finish the sentence.

“Your what?” Eva questioned. “I’m your _what_ , Master?” she hissed.

“Spoilers.”

Something he couldn’t quite translate crossed Eva’s eyes, but the Master knew that no matter how she felt, she won’t question him further – at least not on that particular matter. She, more than anyone, understood the dangers of telling someone about their personal future.

“Fine,” she all but spat. “Don’t tell me. But you’ll have to tell _her_ , eventually. You’ll have to tell her the truth – about you, about us, about your plans. You can’t keep her in the dark forever.”

“I can try,” he said simply.

Eva let out a disbelieving huff. “You _will_ tell her,” she said. “And you will do it in the next month.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I will.”

And with that, Eva turned away from him and started talking to a couple of costumers.

The Master looked at her, anger burning through him. Who does she think she is? After everything he did for her, this is how she repays him?

Though, he had to admit, she did have a point. He can’t keep Lucy in the dark. He’ll have to tell her.

But he will do it on his terms, no one else’s.


	4. Life Goes On

When she looked back at the first two months she spent living on Earth with the Master, Eva had to admit that things were relatively uneventful.

The Time Lord and the former Time Jumper settled into a bizarre sort of co-existence in which the Master dug his roots deeper into the government while Eva played the role of the perfect daughter to the public.

She took online university classes, determined to be on an advanced enough level to take her second year properly the coming fall. At other times, she arrived with her ‘father’ to different social events. There had been a news article about the two of them, and she would never admit to the Master how much she enjoyed the prepping up that proceeded both the interview itself and the photographing that took place.

Together, the duo made a stunning cover picture for an economics newspaper Eva only heard of in passing due to her real – well, technically adopting – father’s career in journalism.

Lucy grew closer and closer to the two of them, arriving almost every night to dinner and Eva wouldn’t have been surprised if she announced the desire to become Mrs. Saxon in the foreseeable future – even though the Master still hadn’t told her the truth about them, something which bothered Eva greatly.

The month’s deadline she gave the Master was slowly growing nearer but despite her self-confidence when she gave the Master her warning, if it came to that she wasn’t sure she’d be able to do so. The natural blonde seemed so happy with the Master, and though Eva knew that in a little over a year’s time, she’d know everything and will be okay with it, she honestly wasn’t sure if Lucy was ready.

Besides, she wasn’t overly keen on being that one to pop Lucy’s little bubble.

Though, Lucy’s status as a part of their mismatched ‘family’ wasn’t what bothered her over the period of a few days in the beginning of March, leading to her mentioning the topic to the Master.

“How come nobody recognizes me?” she asked him over dinner on one of the rare occasions when Lucy didn’t join them, having to go represent her family in some event or another. “I mean, sure, my hair’s blonde and it a difference, but Jack’s known me for over a century by this point and the Doctor’s known me for longer. I get how it can make most people not look at me twice and overthink Eva Saxon and Eva Miller being the same person, but my pictures are in newspapers all the time. How didn’t they recognize me?”

To be honest, though she won’t admit it out loud and surely not with the Master so close by, she was torn between disappointed and sad that they didn’t recognize her. She wasn’t sure if there was anything they could do if they did recognize her, as they all needed to preserve the timelines, but she hoped they’d at least notice _something_ was wrong.

“Your bracelet acts as a perception filter, amongst other things,” the Master explained. “If someone knows what to look for, they’ll recognize you, but nobody other than the two of us knows. Add that to the Archangel Network…” he shrugged, and Eva nodded.

Well, if nothing else she had to admit she was equally impressed and scared by how thoroughly the Master thought every part of his plan during such a short period of time. Just as it scared her just how casual their relationship had become, considering she was essentially still his prisoner.

If it wasn’t for the pact that she was practically counting the days until Election Day – a date that, for most people, wasn’t even publicly declared yet – she would have been worried that she might have some sort of Stockholm Syndrome.

As it were, she continued maintaining what she could only describe as a friendly relationship while making sure to watch out. After all, the Master wasn’t exactly known for being the most mentally stable Time Lord around.

“Do you have plans for tomorrow?” she asked.

“Well, I plan to tell Lucy the truth.” Eva’s eyebrows jumped up in surprise and the Master sighed. “Well, you threatened to tell her yourself, didn’t you? I only have ten more days to deliver. Then I have some awful cabinet meeting to attend, but Lucy said she’ll take you shopping. Nothing special tomorrow evening. Why?” he added as an afterthought, studying Eva’s face closely.

“No reason,” she replied, far too quickly and they both knew it.

“Eva…”

“I think I’ll go to sleep now, I’m tired.” She quickly placed her plate in the sink and all but ran upstairs.

The Master stared after her, more than a bit confused. Did he miss anything? Was there anything important that was supposed to happen the next day?

Maybe it was something to do with Eva’s foreknowledge…

Either way, he’ll tell Lucy to pay close attention to her when he’ll drop her off to shop with the younger woman. He doubted it very much, but there was always the small chance that she’ll be able to figure out what was wrong.

**EMH**

Lucy smiled softly as she walked through Oxford Street with Eva by her side, looking through the shops’ windows and occasionally stopping to try things out. So far, they didn’t buy much but Lucy couldn’t care less.

She spent the morning with Harry. At first when he led her to his bedroom at the Saxon Mansion, she was slightly worried, but he quickly reassured her it wasn’t sex on his mind.

“Not today, at least,” he added with a cheeky smile. “No, I… I brought you here today because I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

“You… you haven’t?” she asked, her worry levels ascending all too quickly.

She truly did hope it wasn’t anything too bad. She really liked Harry and Eva, and she could see herself becoming a part of their life as time went by, and vice versa. Besides, if things went the way she hoped they would someday, it would really stick it to her cousin Polly and her jab last Sunday about Lucy being too stupid for someone like Harold Saxon.

“No,” Harry sighed. “And I am so deeply sorry for it. I… I just didn’t know how to tell you.”

“Tell me what?” Lucy asked.

“Eva and I,” Harry started, “We aren’t… aren’t from here.”

“From London?”

“No,” Harry shook his head, sighing again. “We aren’t from… Earth.”

Well, she couldn’t say she expected that. “Oh?” she asked, torn between curious, surprised and just a bit scared.

“Please, hear me out,” he quickly said and Lucy nodded.

Harry turned around and walked towards the door to his wardrobe room, pulling it open. Inside were a few more sets of his signature suits, some undergarments and a distinctively blue box.

Slowly, Lucy joined him. As he opened what she now recognized to be the door of the box, her breath went away.

“It’s called the TARDIS,” Harry explained. “It’s a spaceship and a time machine.”

“It’s…” Lucy muttered, walking in and looking around. “It’s _huge_! And beautiful. Oh, Harry…” She turned to look at him. “It’s yours?”

“It’s how we got here,” Harry replied. “Harold Saxon is not my real name. My name is the Master. I took the name when we arrived here.”

“Is Eva…?” Lucy started distractedly, still looking around.

“It’s her real name,” Harry – the Master? – replied. “She only took the Saxon part with me.”

“So, you’re not…” Lucy started carefully. “Not… Human?”

“No.”

“Oh.” She looked around the spaceship – the TARDIS – again before stepping out.

“So?” It seemed like Harry was almost nervous. “What do you think?”

“I think I’m fine,” Lucy replied honestly. An odd feeling of calm and acceptance settled on her in the past couple of minutes. “Anything else I should know?”

“Not much,” Harry shrugged. “Just that I plan to take over the world and have you as my Queen.”

Lucy’s eyes widened in disbelief. Oh, she was going to be a Queen! This really was every girl’s dream come true.

Now, Lucy carefully glanced at the girl walking by her side.

When he dropped her off, Harry had asked her to keep an eye on the young woman – _alien?_ – whichever way one would choose to refer it. If there was one thing Lucy knew, it was that she needed more time to wrap her head around _that_.

Either way, Harry said that Eva was acting strangely the night before, and asked Lucy to see if she could find out what might be bothering his daughter. So far, she hadn’t seen anything out of the ordinary other than Eva being quieter than usual, and even that could be attributed to the fact she disliked shopping, as she admitted to Lucy earlier that day.

Nothing seemed wrong until Eva looked into her cigarette pack to find it empty. She stopped next to a small shop and told Lucy she’s going in to buy some more.

The only sign that Lucy even heard was a small, almost unnoticeable frown.

“Harry doesn’t like that you smoke,” she stated simply, as if the fact alone would make Eva quit right then and there.

“Nobody likes that I smoke,” Eva replied, forcing herself not to mention that the Master knew she was smoking since the moment they met – nearly a year ago for her and several centuries for him, when he took her as prisoner and proceeded to brainwash her. “Didn’t bother me before, doesn’t bother me now.”

Lucy’s frown deepened, but she didn’t say anything else as Eva walked into the store. The older woman hesitated for a moment before following her in.

It wasn’t the first time she had seen Eva in a situation like this, but the ease in which the young woman talked to the cashier – exchanging a few words of pleasantries before asking for her cigarette brand – amazed her every time.

She always felt out of place in stores of this sort. The constant flow of people, those horrid fluorescent lights – she didn’t know how Eva could bare it, let alone act completely at home. It was as if this was a scenario she was well-acquainted with, and now that Lucy knew Eva and Harry weren’t originally from Earth, it only amazed her more.

“‘Fraid I’m gonna have to see an ID,” the cashier said.

“Of course,” Eva replied politely, handing it out for him to see. A short exchange of cash later had Eva placing the pack in her pocket. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” the man replied. “Oh, and – happy birthday, miss.”

Eva let out a small, tight smile that Lucy only knew was fake because of the amount of time she spent in social events before thanking the man again and heading to the door, Lucy hot on her heels.

_Of course_ Eva was acting strangely, _of course_ she was upset. It was her birthday, her father forgot and while most people could celebrate with their friends, Eva didn’t have any – at least not on this planet, as far as Lucy knew.

In her mind, she started running through her schedule for the day, and then Harry’s. He’s supposed to spend all day in meetings, only coming back home in the early hours of the evening, and she had to leave in about an hour to attend a charity event on her family’s behalf. That meant Eva had four hours all alone in the big, empty mansion.

On regular days Lucy let Harry know she was less than pleased with Eva spending so much time alone, even if he promised that she needed the quiet to learn from her online classes. To think she’ll do nothing but study for four hours, on her _birthday_ …

Lucy quickly pulled out her phone and started texting a man who worked in the Victoria Palace Theatre and owed her a couple of favours.

It may be too late to make today memorable for Eva, but she was sure as hell going to do everything to make tonight the best birthday Eva had ever experienced.

**EMH**

When the Master walked into Eva’s room, he found her laying on the bed, still in the clothes she wore when she went out for shopping with Lucy. If he had to guess, he’d say that she fell on that spot when she came back hours earlier, and hadn’t moved an inch since.

Her hand was clutching her wrist, and upon a closer look he could see tears making trails on her face. Of course, he should have figured out that the bracelet would burn all day long today. On regular days, it burned at least a couple of times, being here and away from the Doctor on her birthday was bound to burn Eva’s wrist down to the bone if it weren’t for her abnormal healing.

He should have realized something was wrong last night. He should have remember the dates he set up for the two of them when they arrived at this time. He couldn’t care less about his birthday, and only wrote a series of random numbers to make sure the space wouldn’t be left empty, but Eva was still young – only twenty years old.

Ages were important when the numbers were this low, especially with humans.

Silently, he sat by Eva’s side. She didn’t acknowledge his presence with words, but he knew she noticed he was there by the way her shoulders tensed. He moved a stray curl from her face before talking.

“Can I see your wrist?”

Eva hesitated for a moment. With all honesty, the Master couldn’t blame her.

They both knew that the purpose of that bracelet was to keep her from spending too long thinking about the Doctor, and she did little today other tan think about him. As a matter of fact, she had just spent close to four hours doing nothing but thinking about him.

The moment, however, passed, and Eva moved her hand in the Master’s direction.

Gently, as to not cause her any more pain, the Master pulled Eva into a seating position. She didn’t look up at him as he fidgeted with her bracelet, nor did she look at the object itself. She looked down at her lap, her free hand resting against her thigh.

Only when the Master released the bracelet from around her wrist did Eva look up at him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “For forgetting what today was and… and for not taking into consideration what today would mean.” He gently moved his fingers over the burns on her wrist, using his regeneration energy to heal it before lightly kissing her hand and letting it go again. “I should have known better.”

Eva sat silently, looking between her now-healed wrist and the Master several times in disbelief. As soon as the shock that seemed to overcome her had passed, she touched the skin of her hand, making sure there were really no remains of the burns.

Once she found it healed enough to her satisfaction, she used that very same hand to slap the Master across the face.

“You bloody idiot!” she called out. “That was the stupidest use of regeneration energy I had ever seen – and I’ve been travelling with the Doctor, so that’s saying something! I heal faster than normal humans do, you dolt! In fact, the burns you healed were only about thirty minutes old, because anything older than that had _already fucking healed_!”

“Ow – stop hitting me – Eva!”

“I will stop hitting you when you will start using your bloody brain for a change!” Eva called out, tears streaming from her eyes once more as her hands fell to her sides. “Just leave me alone, Master. The damage is already done. You forgot, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

“No, there isn’t,” the Master agreed. “But, last I checked, we still have five and a half more hours of your birthday, and Lucy made plans.”

“She…” That took Eva by surprise. “She had?”

“As soon as she realized it was your birthday, she pulled some strings, used up a couple of favours,” the Master replied, smiling softly. Eva’s eyes widened slightly as she remembered the hour the other woman spent texting at any free moment she had while the two of them were shopping earlier today. “We really should get going, seeing as it starts at eight.”

“What does?” Eva asked, her excitement being held back by the remains of her anger.

“That would be telling,” the Master replied, wiping away the tears that hadn’t dried yet. “What I _will_ tell you is that you should wear something a bit more formal than usual, but not by much.”

“Why?” Eva asked, curious. “You know I will be able to dress up more accordingly if I knew what was going on, right?”

“Nice attempt,” the Master smiled, kissing Eva’s cheek. “The car should be here to pick us up in twenty minutes, and we’ll need to go as soon as it comes.”

“Go where?” Eva called out after him as he walked out of the room. “Master! That’s not fair!”

The sound of his laughter was only cut off when the door closed behind him, and Eva huffed. She was still angry with the Master for forgetting her birthday, and even more so at not realizing the bracelet would hurt her more than usual today and then at healing her burns when they would have healed quickly on their own.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel excitement at the idea of a surprise for her birthday. It might not be much, and there was a fair chance that it was too little, too late, but if Lucy organized it then at least it would be something normal and human, rather than the usual oddities the Time Lord often came up with.

_At the very least,_ she thought to herself, _I should try to have a good time. For Lucy’s sake, of course, not for him._

Even she didn’t believe herself.

**EMH**

The Master smiled as they entered the car, having just walked out of the play Lucy arranged for them to see. _Sweeny Todd_ was an odd play even by human standards, Lucy told him, but it was the only one she could get good tickets to on such a short notice.

Personally, the Master found it all quite amusing – a whole city not noticing that almost everyone who walked into a certain barber shop went missing, especially when said barber shop was right above a bakery whose pies became famous since the barber shop was opened. He had to admit, though, that Todd and Lovett had found quite a smart way to rid themselves of the evidence to all the murders they committed.

By his side, Eva was ecstatic. As it turned out, back before she started travelling with the Doctor she and her best friend would go to see a play for each of their birthdays.

“Mine’s in December, and hers was in November,” Eva said as they sat down in the theatre, “But we bought the tickets back in June to get good seats in our budget. Her birthday was less than a month before I started travelling with the Doctor, and we went to see _Sweeny Todd_. Afterwards, we watched the movie about five times.”

Even if she hadn’t said so before, the Master thought he could have figured it out on his own by the way she mouthed every single line of the songs in tune with the actors. When they walked out of the play, she was all but jumping up and down in happiness.

“What play were the two of you supposed to go to on your birthday?” he asked, hoping that the intents behind the question weren’t too obvious.

“ _Rent_ ,” Eva replied simply. “We both know the movie pretty much by heart, but we never saw the actual play.”

They bought some ice cream at a stand by the theatre, and it was then that Lucy pulled out the gift they bought for Eva – and when the Master said ‘they’, he meant Lucy bought the gift and told him he’s joining in on it, as well, because there was no way he wasn’t getting anything for his daughter’s birthday.

“Forget unkind, that’s just bad manners,” the blonde huffed.

At the sight of the Polaroid camera, Eva’s eyes widened in disbelief. She turned the device in her hands, weighing it before lifting it to her face and taking a picture of the museum. She stared at the piece of paper that came out, shocked.

“You need a hobby,” Lucy shrugged in response to the twenty-year-old’s questioning glance. “I know your studies are very important to you, since you want to start attending uni like a normal person the coming fall, but staying home as much as you do isn’t healthy. Now, you’ll start going out – even if it’s only to take a picture and then go back in again.”

Now, as they sat in the car, Eva took pictures of the streets using her new camera, a smile etched on her face. The Master looked outside the window as well, trying to understand what Eva found worth taking pictures of, as a verse from one of the songs in the musical came into his mind.

_There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit,_  
And the vermin of the world inhabit it,  
And its morals aren’t worth what a pig can spit,  
And it goes by the name of London…

Well, at least that was something he could relate to. He didn’t think he could ever understand what was it about this city that lured the Doctor and Eva as much as it did, but that was a discussion for another night.

For now, Eva was happy, and that was the only important thing.


End file.
